Amtrak - Xmas travel from NYC to DC with infant and luggage
December 2, 2013 12:40 PM Subscribe
Questions on Christmas Amtrak travel from NYC to D.C (how busy and what's the deal with luggage?) for a small family who has never traveled Amtrak before.
My wife and I are planning to travel NYC to DC one-way by train on either Christmas Eve (or even Christmas Day) with our 16 month old and probably 3 largish bags (a big rolling suitcase, car seat, child stroller bag).
1. Typically how busy is train travel at that time of the year on a scale from empty to insane?
2. Is there normally enough space in carriages for luggage without too much drama - or is taking one of the very early morning trains that offer checked baggage really worth it if traveling with a toddler?
3. Any other tips for making Amtrak travel with a toddler easier (like is going "business" or on the express worth the price increase / likely to make the trip a little easier?)
My wife and I are planning to travel NYC to DC one-way by train on either Christmas Eve (or even Christmas Day) with our 16 month old and probably 3 largish bags (a big rolling suitcase, car seat, child stroller bag).
1. Typically how busy is train travel at that time of the year on a scale from empty to insane?
2. Is there normally enough space in carriages for luggage without too much drama - or is taking one of the very early morning trains that offer checked baggage really worth it if traveling with a toddler?
3. Any other tips for making Amtrak travel with a toddler easier (like is going "business" or on the express worth the price increase / likely to make the trip a little easier?)
Christmas Day would be much, much easier to travel on than Christmas Eve, which is maybe the busiest travel day of the year on the Northeast Corridor.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 12:50 PM on December 2, 2013
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 12:50 PM on December 2, 2013
Best answer: Yeah, the northeast corridor is pretty hairy. If you can go early Christmas day that's okay.
As for the luggage issue - the Red Cap may indeed be your best bet. But, they DO have luggage racks over the seat, and each car has an "oversize luggage" area at one end (read: a nook where you can shove suitcases). If you can hoist the stroller bag up into the luggage rack, you may be able to get away with the car seat and the suitcase in the oversize area. Business and first class wouldn't actually improve upon this much, believe it or not. The Red Cap helping you is probably wisest.
If you are VERY lucky, you could try to go for seats at the very front of the car - sometimes these have a lot of extra space that is ostensibly for wheelchairs, but I've only ever seen it used by people who have extra luggage and they just have it all on the floor there in front of them. Unfortunately, you can't reserve a specific seat on Amtrak, so this is really a matter of luck.
As for "traveling with a kid", some general orientation tips:
1. There is a bathroom in every car. It is usually at one end. There are signs pointing out which end of the car the bathroom is at.
2. The first car on most trains is business class; the second car is a "quiet car", where people are discouraged from loud conversations and cell phone use. You may do best to avoid the second car in the train just in case.
3. The cafe car is always in the middle; the cafe car consists of restaurant-booth-type setups of tables and chairs at either end, and the actual food for sale in the middle. SOMETIMES the conductors will let you just use one of the booths as your "seat" for the whole trip, but others are more grumpy and insist they're just for people to use temporarily while they're eating. If you want to try using the booth as your permanent seat, I'd go there from the very first time you board. The only drawback is that the luggage storage at the booths isn't great.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:01 PM on December 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
As for the luggage issue - the Red Cap may indeed be your best bet. But, they DO have luggage racks over the seat, and each car has an "oversize luggage" area at one end (read: a nook where you can shove suitcases). If you can hoist the stroller bag up into the luggage rack, you may be able to get away with the car seat and the suitcase in the oversize area. Business and first class wouldn't actually improve upon this much, believe it or not. The Red Cap helping you is probably wisest.
If you are VERY lucky, you could try to go for seats at the very front of the car - sometimes these have a lot of extra space that is ostensibly for wheelchairs, but I've only ever seen it used by people who have extra luggage and they just have it all on the floor there in front of them. Unfortunately, you can't reserve a specific seat on Amtrak, so this is really a matter of luck.
As for "traveling with a kid", some general orientation tips:
1. There is a bathroom in every car. It is usually at one end. There are signs pointing out which end of the car the bathroom is at.
2. The first car on most trains is business class; the second car is a "quiet car", where people are discouraged from loud conversations and cell phone use. You may do best to avoid the second car in the train just in case.
3. The cafe car is always in the middle; the cafe car consists of restaurant-booth-type setups of tables and chairs at either end, and the actual food for sale in the middle. SOMETIMES the conductors will let you just use one of the booths as your "seat" for the whole trip, but others are more grumpy and insist they're just for people to use temporarily while they're eating. If you want to try using the booth as your permanent seat, I'd go there from the very first time you board. The only drawback is that the luggage storage at the booths isn't great.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:01 PM on December 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
There's no checked baggage at all on that route. I'd rather do Christmas Day than any other day.
You can't do a big rolling suitcase, but you'll each be able to have two checked bags (did you see the description?) and some infant stuff.
If you reserve, the weird thing is you'll have a seat on the train, but not a particular one, so you may want to get to the train as early as possible to insure that you don't end up separated.
I only saw one train with checked baggage on that route, and that was the one departing at 10:10 PM.
This doesn't sound like ANY kind of fun at all.
You can rent a car from Hertz from National Airport and return it at JFK for $270. Or, check Enterprise, they're pretty cool and close, so they'll come get you, do the paperwork and send you on your way. Once you get where you're going, you return the car to them, and they'll drive you home, or to your hotel or wherever.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:07 PM on December 2, 2013
You can't do a big rolling suitcase, but you'll each be able to have two checked bags (did you see the description?) and some infant stuff.
If you reserve, the weird thing is you'll have a seat on the train, but not a particular one, so you may want to get to the train as early as possible to insure that you don't end up separated.
I only saw one train with checked baggage on that route, and that was the one departing at 10:10 PM.
This doesn't sound like ANY kind of fun at all.
You can rent a car from Hertz from National Airport and return it at JFK for $270. Or, check Enterprise, they're pretty cool and close, so they'll come get you, do the paperwork and send you on your way. Once you get where you're going, you return the car to them, and they'll drive you home, or to your hotel or wherever.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:07 PM on December 2, 2013
If you're going to train it anyway, how necessary is the stroller? I was able to sling my kids well into their third and fourth years with a hip carry or back carry at that age using a basic ring sling. That'd cut down on at least one bit of baggage as well as using mutual body contact for warmth.
posted by tilde at 1:12 PM on December 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by tilde at 1:12 PM on December 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: First, to answer your questions:
1) I've found Penn Station insanity to be extremely unpredictable. Normally it's busy-but-manageable, but delays on the heavily-traveled corridor from Boston to DC can quickly fill the waiting areas with irritable travelers. I have not found holiday travel to be any more crowded than normal commuter travel, but it's usually more chaotic as the holiday folks aren't as practiced or as well-organized as daily commuters tend to be.
2) I have never checked my bags. I have often traveled alone with a large suitcase and a backpack and have never had trouble finding room for them -- the overhead shelves are spacious, and there are usually nooks at the ends of the cars where you can stow larger luggage. BUT. Holidays mean more and larger suitcases, so if you have the cash and the time to take an early train and it's possible to check your luggage, I'd recommend it -- the Amtrak staff I've dealt with in other capacities have been friendly and helpful and very competent, and I've often seen them helping families with young children.
3) Lots of people travel with small children by train. If you can, get a four-seat corner where two rows of seats are facing each other (if it's possible to do so, checking your bags might get you early access to the train via an Amtrak employee, which would help with this somewhat.) If you can't find at least two seats together, ask -- single travelers will usually move to let couples travel together, and if you have a kid they're even less likely to be irritated at you for asking. The nice thing about traveling by train is that you and your kid can walk up and down the aisles whenever they get antsy, and there's a Super Exciting Cafe Car to visit and get them a small snack. It's totally normal for parents to escort antsy kids around the train, so don't stress about it -- just make sure you're sitting down when the train's at a stop, so no one takes your seat and you aren't blocking the aisle.
So that said -- I love Amtrak! It's my favorite way to travel! I've spent a huge amount of time on the Boston --> NYC ---> Philly ---> DC corridor, and I've very rarely had any serious problems. Here are some tips that might make things easier for you:
First of all, keep in mind that your train will almost definitely be coming from Boston, and so will have lots of people on it before you board. This can make it hard to find groups of seats together, so get to the station nice and early and board as quickly as possible.
Food in the cafe car isn't terrible and isn't enormously expensive, but it's not great. Bring your own food, if you can. (I've also found Penn Sushi to be surprisingly tasty, if you want to grab something in the station.)
If you haven't spent any time at Penn Station, and you live in NYC such that you can reasonably go and walk around it before you travel, I would recommend doing so. It's a massive underground train station and it can be easy to get lost if you don't know where you're going -- people have particular problems with getting off the subway near the Long Island Railroad tracks and having no idea where the Amtrak area is.
The easiest and least-confusing way to get to the Amtrak section of Penn Station is the entrance at 7th Avenue and 32nd St. 32nd dead-ends right at the entrance, which is underneath a huge concrete overhang that's helpfully labeled "Penn Station." There's a big, wide staircase and some escalators. At the bottom of the stairs, keep walking straight (ignore the wall in the middle of the corridor, which is the back of another set of escalators) until you enter a big, round room with high ceilings. There's an information booth in the middle, and behind that, a big sign with information about departures and a bunch of Amtrak machines where you can print out your tickets. Behind the Amtrak machines is the waiting room, but you don't enter it from this side. What you'll do is walk to the left or to the right, all the way around the waiting room, which takes you into the main departure area. It's rectangular and often very crowded, and hanging from the ceiling in the middle is another departures board. This is where you'll wait for your train. (You can enter the waiting room from this side if you like, but unless you're there super early it's probably not worth the trouble, as it can be kind of a bottle-neck getting in and out of there.)
The thing I hate the most about Penn Station is that, because it's so poorly designed, there's nowhere for people to neatly line up and wait for their train. As a result, they generally don't announce what track your train is going to be on until the train is ready to board, and then there's a huge chaotic rush as everyone scrambles to funnel themselves onto the escalators that take them down to the train platform.
There are two ways to make this part less unpleasant: (1) check your bags and have an Amtrak person escort your family down to the train, which I've never done but have seen other folks do. (2) Look for your train's number on the arrival board, which often announces the track several minutes before the departures board does, and position yourself strategically.
(How the arrivals board thing works: at the corners of the departures area are columns that contain video screens with information about arrivals and departures. Because you're going to DC, you'll probably be getting on a train that originated in Boston. This means that if you know your train number, you can look for it under "arrivals" and find out what track it's going to be on a few minutes earlier than you otherwise would. The only problem with this plan is that there are "east" and "west" entrances for the tracks, and the arrival board won't tell you which one will open to allow passengers down onto the platform. BUT, it does allow you to be on the correct end of the departure area, which is VERY NICE when things get crowded and people start running around.)
I realize this is a giant wall of text, but seriously, compared to every other form of public transit I've used (planes included) riding on the train is a DREAM.
And I don't know how you feel about alcoholic beverages, but: every time I ride Amtrak, I split a bottle of Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA with my traveling companion, and I NEVER EVER REGRET IT.
posted by Narrative Priorities at 1:19 PM on December 2, 2013 [2 favorites]
1) I've found Penn Station insanity to be extremely unpredictable. Normally it's busy-but-manageable, but delays on the heavily-traveled corridor from Boston to DC can quickly fill the waiting areas with irritable travelers. I have not found holiday travel to be any more crowded than normal commuter travel, but it's usually more chaotic as the holiday folks aren't as practiced or as well-organized as daily commuters tend to be.
2) I have never checked my bags. I have often traveled alone with a large suitcase and a backpack and have never had trouble finding room for them -- the overhead shelves are spacious, and there are usually nooks at the ends of the cars where you can stow larger luggage. BUT. Holidays mean more and larger suitcases, so if you have the cash and the time to take an early train and it's possible to check your luggage, I'd recommend it -- the Amtrak staff I've dealt with in other capacities have been friendly and helpful and very competent, and I've often seen them helping families with young children.
3) Lots of people travel with small children by train. If you can, get a four-seat corner where two rows of seats are facing each other (if it's possible to do so, checking your bags might get you early access to the train via an Amtrak employee, which would help with this somewhat.) If you can't find at least two seats together, ask -- single travelers will usually move to let couples travel together, and if you have a kid they're even less likely to be irritated at you for asking. The nice thing about traveling by train is that you and your kid can walk up and down the aisles whenever they get antsy, and there's a Super Exciting Cafe Car to visit and get them a small snack. It's totally normal for parents to escort antsy kids around the train, so don't stress about it -- just make sure you're sitting down when the train's at a stop, so no one takes your seat and you aren't blocking the aisle.
So that said -- I love Amtrak! It's my favorite way to travel! I've spent a huge amount of time on the Boston --> NYC ---> Philly ---> DC corridor, and I've very rarely had any serious problems. Here are some tips that might make things easier for you:
First of all, keep in mind that your train will almost definitely be coming from Boston, and so will have lots of people on it before you board. This can make it hard to find groups of seats together, so get to the station nice and early and board as quickly as possible.
Food in the cafe car isn't terrible and isn't enormously expensive, but it's not great. Bring your own food, if you can. (I've also found Penn Sushi to be surprisingly tasty, if you want to grab something in the station.)
If you haven't spent any time at Penn Station, and you live in NYC such that you can reasonably go and walk around it before you travel, I would recommend doing so. It's a massive underground train station and it can be easy to get lost if you don't know where you're going -- people have particular problems with getting off the subway near the Long Island Railroad tracks and having no idea where the Amtrak area is.
The easiest and least-confusing way to get to the Amtrak section of Penn Station is the entrance at 7th Avenue and 32nd St. 32nd dead-ends right at the entrance, which is underneath a huge concrete overhang that's helpfully labeled "Penn Station." There's a big, wide staircase and some escalators. At the bottom of the stairs, keep walking straight (ignore the wall in the middle of the corridor, which is the back of another set of escalators) until you enter a big, round room with high ceilings. There's an information booth in the middle, and behind that, a big sign with information about departures and a bunch of Amtrak machines where you can print out your tickets. Behind the Amtrak machines is the waiting room, but you don't enter it from this side. What you'll do is walk to the left or to the right, all the way around the waiting room, which takes you into the main departure area. It's rectangular and often very crowded, and hanging from the ceiling in the middle is another departures board. This is where you'll wait for your train. (You can enter the waiting room from this side if you like, but unless you're there super early it's probably not worth the trouble, as it can be kind of a bottle-neck getting in and out of there.)
The thing I hate the most about Penn Station is that, because it's so poorly designed, there's nowhere for people to neatly line up and wait for their train. As a result, they generally don't announce what track your train is going to be on until the train is ready to board, and then there's a huge chaotic rush as everyone scrambles to funnel themselves onto the escalators that take them down to the train platform.
There are two ways to make this part less unpleasant: (1) check your bags and have an Amtrak person escort your family down to the train, which I've never done but have seen other folks do. (2) Look for your train's number on the arrival board, which often announces the track several minutes before the departures board does, and position yourself strategically.
(How the arrivals board thing works: at the corners of the departures area are columns that contain video screens with information about arrivals and departures. Because you're going to DC, you'll probably be getting on a train that originated in Boston. This means that if you know your train number, you can look for it under "arrivals" and find out what track it's going to be on a few minutes earlier than you otherwise would. The only problem with this plan is that there are "east" and "west" entrances for the tracks, and the arrival board won't tell you which one will open to allow passengers down onto the platform. BUT, it does allow you to be on the correct end of the departure area, which is VERY NICE when things get crowded and people start running around.)
I realize this is a giant wall of text, but seriously, compared to every other form of public transit I've used (planes included) riding on the train is a DREAM.
And I don't know how you feel about alcoholic beverages, but: every time I ride Amtrak, I split a bottle of Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA with my traveling companion, and I NEVER EVER REGRET IT.
posted by Narrative Priorities at 1:19 PM on December 2, 2013 [2 favorites]
If you want to sit together, have one of you take the little one and head down as quickly as possible to claim seats and get settled. The other person can follow down with the luggage once the mad rush of passengers subsides.
posted by evoque at 1:40 PM on December 2, 2013
posted by evoque at 1:40 PM on December 2, 2013
Best answer: Some other notes on Train Strategy:
BUY YOUR TICKETS AT LEAST TWO WEEKS AHEAD OF TIME! This is huge, I can't believe I forgot to mention it before. Not only because holiday trains sell out, but because Amtrak tickets are HALF the price if you buy them two weeks or more before your trip.
Make sure that both of you have your own tickets on-hand, just in case you get separated. You'll need to show your ticket twice -- once at the top of the escalator before you're boarding the train, and once to the conductor after the train has left the station. They will almost never ask you for photo ID, but it's good if you can get it out quickly, just in case. (If you print out your tickets at home ahead of time, they'll be on the same sheet of paper -- just print out two copies so both of you have one.)
If the train is really crowded and the car near the escalator is already full by the time you get down there, walk along the train platform, not inside the train. You can look through the windows to find a car that has seats in it. You'll go a LOT faster and it's way less stressful.
If you find that the luggage-and-kid-combo is making it super difficult to navigate the platform and/or train, don't make yourselves crazy trying to stay together while you find a seat. The train will be in the station for long enough that you don't have to rush to get on it; no one's going to be left behind; as long as you're both on the train before it pulls out of the station, you'll be fine. So. If one of you is quicker moving through crowds and bolder about asking people to move themselves or their luggage, it might make sense to send that person ahead as a sort of one-person-scouting-party to find good seats. Then the other person can take their time. (Note: There's usually cell reception on the platform.) This system doesn't work for everyone, and it's only really necessary when the train is SUPER CROWDED, but it's a good thing to keep in mind just in case, especially if one of you is stressing out about finding seats. (on preview: what evoque said)
At Union Station in DC, they are civilized and spacious and will let you form a line before you board the train. Get there nice and early and take turns entertaining your toddler while the other person holds your place and watches your stuff in line. The train will be empty and you'll be able to sit WHEREVER YOU WANT. Glorious.
posted by Narrative Priorities at 1:41 PM on December 2, 2013
BUY YOUR TICKETS AT LEAST TWO WEEKS AHEAD OF TIME! This is huge, I can't believe I forgot to mention it before. Not only because holiday trains sell out, but because Amtrak tickets are HALF the price if you buy them two weeks or more before your trip.
Make sure that both of you have your own tickets on-hand, just in case you get separated. You'll need to show your ticket twice -- once at the top of the escalator before you're boarding the train, and once to the conductor after the train has left the station. They will almost never ask you for photo ID, but it's good if you can get it out quickly, just in case. (If you print out your tickets at home ahead of time, they'll be on the same sheet of paper -- just print out two copies so both of you have one.)
If the train is really crowded and the car near the escalator is already full by the time you get down there, walk along the train platform, not inside the train. You can look through the windows to find a car that has seats in it. You'll go a LOT faster and it's way less stressful.
If you find that the luggage-and-kid-combo is making it super difficult to navigate the platform and/or train, don't make yourselves crazy trying to stay together while you find a seat. The train will be in the station for long enough that you don't have to rush to get on it; no one's going to be left behind; as long as you're both on the train before it pulls out of the station, you'll be fine. So. If one of you is quicker moving through crowds and bolder about asking people to move themselves or their luggage, it might make sense to send that person ahead as a sort of one-person-scouting-party to find good seats. Then the other person can take their time. (Note: There's usually cell reception on the platform.) This system doesn't work for everyone, and it's only really necessary when the train is SUPER CROWDED, but it's a good thing to keep in mind just in case, especially if one of you is stressing out about finding seats. (on preview: what evoque said)
At Union Station in DC, they are civilized and spacious and will let you form a line before you board the train. Get there nice and early and take turns entertaining your toddler while the other person holds your place and watches your stuff in line. The train will be empty and you'll be able to sit WHEREVER YOU WANT. Glorious.
posted by Narrative Priorities at 1:41 PM on December 2, 2013
Best answer: I take that route every day, and quite honestly I don't think it will be that bad for you. I would actually suggest you don't do checked luggage anyway; the overhead compartments are not fully encapsulated and a bit bigger than those on planes. I've done a slightly larger than your average plane carry-on on Christmas Eve myself as has my packrat three bags sister without issue. There are also no rules about keeping things under the seat, so if you get one of the previously mentioned front of car spots you could have the car seat on the floor if the kid isn't in it as long as it doesn't stick out in the aisle.
I would also not suggest the early morning trains. Even on Christmas Eve they will be packed with commuters (and Boston to DC than means politicians and lobbyists and cranky old men, usually). If you can spare the time, starting after 9 or 10 and even as late as early afternoon would be a bit less crowded I'd think.
The cafe car doesn't close on the NEC between NY and DC at all for restocking. It may be closed for a few moments after leaving NY but it will open shortly after. If you feel the need for a table feel free to move there if available; the conductors on that line don't treat it as temporary like they do on the longer vacation lines. I've sat there from NY to Baltimore many times without a fuss.
Business class won't get you much extra room at all, skip it. Ditto the Acela.
You don't need to be on a checked bag train to use the Red Cap service. I'm not sure you would need to, as that is actually a lot less luggage than I see families with, but if you want some help I would just go to the Red Cap desk right in Penn Station when you arrive. It might be a good idea for one person to take the kid for seats and the other to use the Red Cap to help with luggage as evoque said, if it seems like a lot of people line up when they announce the gate. I would suggest walking towards the last few cars on the train (furthest from the direction it will be heading I mean) on the platform as people tend to get in the train and walk through it when they don't immediately find seats, for some reason I will never understand, giving you the advantage.
The trains have Wifi, but no streaming. Each seat has an outlet for charging. I've only ever had a busted one twice. If you have some videos or educational tablet games or something it might be worthwhile to have the charger packed with it. Take heart that it seems to me kids do pretty well on trains, actually, at least by my unscientific observations. I've been party to very few meltdowns especially low when compared to the usual plane travel.
The cafe car doesn't offer a ton of finger foods (no cereal really or anything other than like maybe goldfish) so bringing toddler snacks is encouraged.
Obviously you will be buying your tickets ahead, but many people don't realize that if they reserve online they don't need to wait in the long line at Penn. The kiosks are almost always empty. There are also print at home tickets now as well as tickets on the smartphone app.
That's a lot, but I tried to list everything I could think of/remembered observing that people usually don't know ahead of time.
posted by itsonreserve at 1:45 PM on December 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
I would also not suggest the early morning trains. Even on Christmas Eve they will be packed with commuters (and Boston to DC than means politicians and lobbyists and cranky old men, usually). If you can spare the time, starting after 9 or 10 and even as late as early afternoon would be a bit less crowded I'd think.
The cafe car doesn't close on the NEC between NY and DC at all for restocking. It may be closed for a few moments after leaving NY but it will open shortly after. If you feel the need for a table feel free to move there if available; the conductors on that line don't treat it as temporary like they do on the longer vacation lines. I've sat there from NY to Baltimore many times without a fuss.
Business class won't get you much extra room at all, skip it. Ditto the Acela.
You don't need to be on a checked bag train to use the Red Cap service. I'm not sure you would need to, as that is actually a lot less luggage than I see families with, but if you want some help I would just go to the Red Cap desk right in Penn Station when you arrive. It might be a good idea for one person to take the kid for seats and the other to use the Red Cap to help with luggage as evoque said, if it seems like a lot of people line up when they announce the gate. I would suggest walking towards the last few cars on the train (furthest from the direction it will be heading I mean) on the platform as people tend to get in the train and walk through it when they don't immediately find seats, for some reason I will never understand, giving you the advantage.
The trains have Wifi, but no streaming. Each seat has an outlet for charging. I've only ever had a busted one twice. If you have some videos or educational tablet games or something it might be worthwhile to have the charger packed with it. Take heart that it seems to me kids do pretty well on trains, actually, at least by my unscientific observations. I've been party to very few meltdowns especially low when compared to the usual plane travel.
The cafe car doesn't offer a ton of finger foods (no cereal really or anything other than like maybe goldfish) so bringing toddler snacks is encouraged.
Obviously you will be buying your tickets ahead, but many people don't realize that if they reserve online they don't need to wait in the long line at Penn. The kiosks are almost always empty. There are also print at home tickets now as well as tickets on the smartphone app.
That's a lot, but I tried to list everything I could think of/remembered observing that people usually don't know ahead of time.
posted by itsonreserve at 1:45 PM on December 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Seconding "buy your tickets now", and the dearth of toddler-friendly finger food. They have things like chips, pretzels, nuts, M&M's, and a couple of kinds of pre-made hot sandwiches that they chuck in a microwave for you. Plus airline-size bottles of wine, coffee, and tea, and they also have yogurt.
The WiFi can get a little spotty sometimes. But seconding the existance of an outlet at each seat.
Finally - I will let someone else who actually takes the NYC-to-DC leg speak to this and confirm, but I take the NYC-to-Boston leg of that train and it always is at the same tracks. I'll let Narrative Priorities and itsonreserve attest to whether the Northest Corridor going southbound is indeed usually at track 8 or 9? If it is - hanging around that ramp near the time you board may be a good idea so you can beat the rush of OH WAIT THEY JUST ANNOUNCED THE TRACK LET ME GET INTO A LINE NOW.
As for the ticket - If you order on line, you can get your ticket emailed to you. It's a document with one of those square-shaped scan codes printed on it; print that out and that is your ticket. You can also get one of the old-school tickets at the station, but I've noticed that they just email you the scan ticket if you order from the Amtrak web site. And speaking of that - I take Amtrak about twice a year on the holidays and have NEVER had a problem ordering on the web site.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 2:14 PM on December 2, 2013
The WiFi can get a little spotty sometimes. But seconding the existance of an outlet at each seat.
Finally - I will let someone else who actually takes the NYC-to-DC leg speak to this and confirm, but I take the NYC-to-Boston leg of that train and it always is at the same tracks. I'll let Narrative Priorities and itsonreserve attest to whether the Northest Corridor going southbound is indeed usually at track 8 or 9? If it is - hanging around that ramp near the time you board may be a good idea so you can beat the rush of OH WAIT THEY JUST ANNOUNCED THE TRACK LET ME GET INTO A LINE NOW.
As for the ticket - If you order on line, you can get your ticket emailed to you. It's a document with one of those square-shaped scan codes printed on it; print that out and that is your ticket. You can also get one of the old-school tickets at the station, but I've noticed that they just email you the scan ticket if you order from the Amtrak web site. And speaking of that - I take Amtrak about twice a year on the holidays and have NEVER had a problem ordering on the web site.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 2:14 PM on December 2, 2013
Response by poster: Wow! Thanks all for the huge amount of really good info - very much appreciated. It's sounding a lot more effort/planning/gameday strategy than I feared. There was I thinking the train may be a nice break from airports :-(
Looks like I'll need to talk it over with Mrs Inflatablekiwi and see if we want to take it on or do a flight/car rental one-way. Still really want to do the train though....may resort to traveling Christmas Day (but not super early), paying some redcaps, getting there early, printing tickets at home a few weeks ahead of time, and packing as lightly as we can (unfortunately this is just one leg in a 2 week multi-city vacation so easier said then done with a little one)
posted by inflatablekiwi at 2:20 PM on December 2, 2013
Looks like I'll need to talk it over with Mrs Inflatablekiwi and see if we want to take it on or do a flight/car rental one-way. Still really want to do the train though....may resort to traveling Christmas Day (but not super early), paying some redcaps, getting there early, printing tickets at home a few weeks ahead of time, and packing as lightly as we can (unfortunately this is just one leg in a 2 week multi-city vacation so easier said then done with a little one)
posted by inflatablekiwi at 2:20 PM on December 2, 2013
I think the biggest difference between the train and, say, flying is time. 90% of train-related stress and hassle will take place over a half hour or less. Probably more like five or ten minutes. The track is announced, everyone rushes to find a seat, there's a moment of panic and then hooray! You have a seat! Your bags are stowed! The train is moving! Your worrying is finished. There are tons of nice, big bathrooms, and your toddler is never miserably trapped by a seatbelt and forbidden to walk around. No security, no need to be there two hours early, no schlepping you and your stuff out to the far end of Queens, no tiny baggage compartments, no suffering the glares of your fellow passengers when your kid gets cranky from having to sit still, no worrying if your phone or your laptop will run out of batteries.
My housemates and I joke about how rail is the only "civilized" way to travel....but we're not entirely joking.
posted by Narrative Priorities at 2:40 PM on December 2, 2013
My housemates and I joke about how rail is the only "civilized" way to travel....but we're not entirely joking.
posted by Narrative Priorities at 2:40 PM on December 2, 2013
They sell a cheese and cracker package on the train too.
I scheduled a flight from Amsterdam to NY on Christmas, thinking that it would be less crowded. No.
posted by brujita at 2:41 PM on December 2, 2013
I scheduled a flight from Amsterdam to NY on Christmas, thinking that it would be less crowded. No.
posted by brujita at 2:41 PM on December 2, 2013
Best answer: We JUST did this exact trip with our 16 month old this Thanksgiving - it went much more smoothly than expected! We even travelled on the day before thanksgiving (a notoriously crowded time) and it was fine.
We paid extra for the Acela, which is nicer and gets there around 40 mins faster. Worth it for us.
We arrived around 45 mins before departure and used the redcap to help us board early. Essential to use the red cap and board early!! Penn Station will be extremely packed so leave time to navigate.
Try to get one of the four-seaters across or near the handicapped spot (an empty place in the train for wheelchairs.) that way you might get more space, and you can set up the stroller for the baby to nap in.
Your luggage will be manageable if you keep the baby in the stroller instead of carrying the stroller and chasing the toddler. You can roll the stroller right on to the train with the help of the redcap.
Our baby took nice 45 minute naps each way - took him a while to settle, and a covering him up with a light blanket helped.
Unfortunately amtraks do get stuck or delayed, so I would bring lots of emergency snacks and some UHT milk cartons.
The worst part of our trip was actually getting from penn station to our final destination on the subway. The next time I do it, I will spring for car service to take us that final leg.
posted by yarly at 3:07 PM on December 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
We paid extra for the Acela, which is nicer and gets there around 40 mins faster. Worth it for us.
We arrived around 45 mins before departure and used the redcap to help us board early. Essential to use the red cap and board early!! Penn Station will be extremely packed so leave time to navigate.
Try to get one of the four-seaters across or near the handicapped spot (an empty place in the train for wheelchairs.) that way you might get more space, and you can set up the stroller for the baby to nap in.
Your luggage will be manageable if you keep the baby in the stroller instead of carrying the stroller and chasing the toddler. You can roll the stroller right on to the train with the help of the redcap.
Our baby took nice 45 minute naps each way - took him a while to settle, and a covering him up with a light blanket helped.
Unfortunately amtraks do get stuck or delayed, so I would bring lots of emergency snacks and some UHT milk cartons.
The worst part of our trip was actually getting from penn station to our final destination on the subway. The next time I do it, I will spring for car service to take us that final leg.
posted by yarly at 3:07 PM on December 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
EmpressCallipygos is right, at Penn it's not always the case but the line frequently uses one or two of the same tracks unless they are occupied. They might not be allowed to tell you (security reasons) but it couldn't hurt to ask an employee what tracks the NEC South usually comes in on.
posted by itsonreserve at 7:41 AM on December 3, 2013
posted by itsonreserve at 7:41 AM on December 3, 2013
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